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Sourdough Bread- take one: the debacle

It all began with dreams of grandeur. Sure, it my have been my virgin run...my maiden voyage...my rookie stint...but I kept my eyes on the horizon and even thought I could see the finish line in the distance. Ha. That is what I get for thinkin'.

Sally was bubbling and fermenting ferociously. She was ready. And after a week of nurturing her...documenting that initial zing of rotting apples mellow into a smooth, aged scent that is somewhat hard to describe, but very easy to love...I was ready.

Tuesday. Late afternoon. Water, flour, and a ladle of Sally. She fit in perfectly. I was so proud. Nestled in an earthenware bowl and then tucked inside of a garbage bag, she set about doing what I knew she would do with ease. Permeating. Lifting. Flavoring. Making a beautiful sponge.

Wednesday. Eight o'clock in the morning. More flour and some salt are added to the sponge that took all night to develop. It's turned out onto a floured counter and kneaded until it becomes smooth and silky and satiny. I form it into a ball and wrap it up to rise for an hour.

Then I turn that beauty out, poke out the gasses, roll it into a ball and repeat the rising process.

And then I do it again. Every hour. For four hours.

After the fourth rise is through, I divide the soft pillow...

...into two and form them into loaves. Placed into my equally virginbrotforms and covered, they proof for another three hours.

With all the care of a first-time mother handling her newborn baby, I turn the dough from the forms with trembling delight. With the oven dialed as high as it will go and my trigger finger on the spray bottle, I slide the slashed loaves into the inferno.

One more turn before the final stretch. The boiling water on the stove carefully and quickly poured into the roasting pan that looks up at the loaves above. But wait! That's not a roasting pan, at all. It is a glass pan. Surely that will serve the same purpose. Surely it will.But suddenly a shot rings out! The shot heard round the world. I divert my eyes, dodging the flying shards of glass that are hurtling through the air. And then I stood there. Jaw hanging slack. Eyes back on the scene and unable to turn away from the grisly events that had commenced.

Well shit. Nothing left to do but clean up. I realize that with a little less dumbassery, I could have sailed through my foray into sourdough with nary a hiccup. But. Tomorrow is another day.

I can still smell it. What could have been.

*What in the world was I thinking, you ask? Well. A little flag did pop up somewhere in the back of my brain. But I figured adding boiling water to a hot pan wouldn't have the same effect as adding cold water. I can now tell you firmly and without a doubt, that it does have the same effect. And yes. The uncooked loaves went into the bin. Nothing else I could do. The glass literally sprayed ev-ry-where. I'm pretty sure none went into the dough, but I wasn't taking any chances. Plus, I had to let the oven cool down in order to clean it out. That was it for the day. But, Sally did her job...and she did it famously! I cannot wait to head back in and give her another chance to work her "wild" magic. Watch for a successful sourdough in the near future☺.

A kitchen can be such a dangerous place - wow I am so surprised you weren't hurt. Much to be thankful for - including a clean oven! Thanks for hosting and posting the Hearth and Soul Hop - (mine was an antique gravy boat)

Oh, my! All that work, only to have it blow up! I'm glad you weren't hurt! I have a banged up 9x13 metal pan that I use in the bottom of the oven and pour hot water from the tap in a cup that has a pour spout ~ works like a charm. Some people use a turkey baster to squeeze the water into the bottom pan.Caution: when using a spray bottle to spritz your loaves, make sure you avoid spraying the oven lights! They may burst and break, too.

Im so sorry... but hey! you didnt get hurt! Next time your bread will be even better! At least you have a wonderful starter already, mine is dead, again....I begin to wonder what Im a going to bake this month for BBD ... :(

Kitchen disasters are horrible and then when over, can be seen from a different light. I was always harsh on myself when something like this happened and it does for every cook! Love the look of your loaves, they would of been some pretty bread baked up brown. Next time, there is always a next time in a busy kitchen.

While I was reading your post and came across the word glass pan and then adding water.... I knew right away what will happen next. That too could happen to the glass door if you have water spraying in contact with it. That happened even to Peter Reinhart. So glad no one got injure.

This sounds worse than my cheese making disaster. I have thought about making sourdough bread, but am not nearly brave enough. I can just imagine you taking pictures along the way, so optimistic and excited, and then to have your dreams crash. I especially love how you named your dough. Good luck next time!

I'm sorry to be laughing at your expense, and grateful you weren't cut. Don't wear bare feet in the kitchen for a while either. Shattered glass breeds and sheds. Please post again, using a METAL pan for the water. Bless your heart. Pat...pat...pat...

I am so glad you weren't hurt!! I am sorry that this attempt didn't work out so well. The loaves looked beautiful so I know that the next one will be wonderful. I'll be looking forward to it! Have a great week, Candace

OH NO! That is one of my biggest fears when baking with glass bakeware. I think maybe I should avoid it at all cost. Well hopefully you'll get back on the proverbial horse soon because with all that love you put into it, I'm sure that loaf would have been amazing!

Sorry for the breaking of glass pan.I have suggestion try to use roasting pan metal one. Put it lower rack of oven and fill with hot water. I don't like to use ice. sure you are going to make good tasty bread.

What a SHAME! I heard of someone who when pouring water into a pan, got some on the oven glass in the front and it broke! Thankfully, THAT didn't happen! Looking forward to seeing Sally in another post :)

Oh heather my love, I so feel for you! I have done the exploding glass pan trick before! But as far as ruining baked goods, I think I top you. I slid a pizza into the oven on a peel and stone and had forgotten to put the salt in the dough, it slid off the back of the stone and onto the hot coils, instantly bursting into a fire ball that had to be put out using a fire extinguisher filled with tiny dusty pellets that got all over everything! UGH! At least I didn't burn the house down. Up until the shattering though, it looks like you did a good job! Sourdough is such a fickle thing! hugs! Alex

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